A FINE Friendsmas
by HollyeLeigh
Summary: CS Modern AU:In a tradition established back in college, Killian and Emma spend a long weekend in January celebrating a belated Friendsmas with their dearest friends. The peaceful weekend is momentarily marred when the group awakens to strewn trash cans, raided by raccoons overnight. The serenity all but evaporates when the men make a shocking discovery whilst cleaning up the mess.


It had been a tradition since college.

Their group of friends, having to go their separate ways to spend actual Christmas with their families, would go away during the first long weekend in January to celebrate the holiday together. At first, it had been just Killian, his roommate, David, Dave's younger sister, Emma, their fellow dorm orphan, Graham, and Emma's best friend, Elsa. Over the years, their group had expanded as new friends and significant others were added to the mix. Now they were a well rounded number of ten.

Five couples in various stages of their relationships.

David and Mary Margaret (Emma's roommate junior year) had been together the longest, and the first of their group to tie the knot. They were followed swiftly by Killian's brother, Liam, and Elsa, who met during their senior year _Friendsmas_ while Liam was state side, spending the holiday with his little… _younger _brother.

Will and Belle had first joined them that same year, Will being a friend of Graham's and Belle one of Killian's. After many years of being _just friends, _they finally started dating about eighteen months ago. Mary Margaret had brought Ruby along to the yearly get together after they'd all graduated. She and Graham were now newly engaged, as were Killian and Emma.

A wonderment Killian still had trouble wrapping his mind around. A life spent at his Swan's side was one he'd long hoped for, but often questioned whether it would ever be realized.

Theirs had been a long and pining road, fraught with big brother over protectiveness, missed opportunities, and separations due to Killian's naval service. Despite everything life had dished out to try and keep them apart, their feelings for one another and the special bond they shared as former lost souls had finally allowed them to find home in one another. Killian had popped the question on Emma's birthday a few months prior, and her response came before he'd even finished getting the question out.

The amount of love and promising futures Killian saw when he looked around the living room of the cabin they'd all rented for their _Friendsmas _weekend filled his heart, while also leaving him with a sense of melancholy. The couples had all trickled in throughout the day, catching one another up on their lives over dinner. Some, like Liam and Elsa, and David and Mary Margaret, Killian saw quite regularly. The others, though… Life had already started pulling them away more and more with careers and relocations. How many more years would they continue to meet like this? How long before distance and new stages of life, with families of their own and obligations of true adulthood, made it impractical to spend this weekend all together?

Killian shook the somber thoughts from his mind, tightened his arm around Emma's shoulder, and focused on enjoying the time he'd get to spend in their company for now. To be sure, things would change as the years progressed, but so long as he had his Emma at his side Killian knew the uncertainties of the future were nothing to fear. He'd leave those concerns for another time.

Especially when the next morning brought more pressing concerns.

"I swear, I made sure the lids were on tight!" Will declared for the dozenth time in response to the muttered curses each of the men were sending his way as they collected the debris littering the yard. "Bloody raccoons."

They'd awoken to a mess, and a green to the gills Elsa who had discovered the up ended trash cans, the stench sending her fleeing to the nearest toilet. Liam informed them that she'd been getting over a touch of the stomach flu, and they all promised to have the mess sorted as soon as possible while their respective loves took care of the ailing woman. Well… all but Mary Margaret, who was still abed and seemingly dead to the world, which was odd. She was usually the only other member of their group that rose with the sun as Killian did.

Perhaps she'd caught Elsa's flu?

Or… as Graham was about to discover, perhaps it was something else entirely.

"Um… mates?" Graham's tone caught everyone's attention and they all paused in their work to look over at where the man stood, gripping something Killian couldn't quite make out. "Was there any leftover trash from the previous renters, or is this all ours?"

"The cans were empty when we got here yesterday," David informed him. "Why?"

Graham stumbled forward a few paces, bringing him closer to the rest of the group, and held up the object clutched in his hand. A mixture of panic and astonishment filled the air as each man took in the sight.

"If that's the case," Graham continued. "Then one of us is about to be a father."

Killian stared at the white length of plastic with the word PREGNANT practically screaming at him from the indicator screen. One of the lasses was pregnant? A swell of something swirled in Killian's chest, but he squelched it before it could fully materialize, choosing instead to break the tension with a bit of brotherly teasing.

"Are you sure it's just a stomach bug, brother?" Killian cheeked to Liam. "Perhaps Elsa has a bit more going on in her belly than the flu."

Liam's complexion turned as white as a fresh sail. "I… she… we're..."

Will came to Liam's stuttering rescue, and chimed in, "It may not be Elsa. Mary Margaret told Belle the two of you had decided to start trying, isn't that true mate?"

All eyes turned to David, joining Will's in their inquiry.

Like Liam, David seemed to need a moment before he could respond. "I mean… we aren't _not _trying, but it hasn't been that long. She can't be pregnant already."

"The Sleeping Beauty act she's pulling this morning could suggest otherwise." It seemed Graham had noted Mary Margaret's unusual lie in as well.

"Let's be real here, gents," Will said. "It could be any one of us."

That was true. All of them were in a steady, committed relationship with the woman they loved, and as much as some of them might be more prepared for fatherhood than others, it wouldn't exactly be terrible news to discover the new year would be bringing them a new life.

"Should we say something? Ask them whose it is?"

"Might be best to wait," Killian suggested. "Let whoever it is reveal it in their own time. In their own way. I wouldn't want to put any of them on the spot like that." _Emma would hate that_, he thought to himself. "Besides, for all we know the answer will be revealed this evening during our gift exchange." He turned his attention to David and smirked. "It would be just like Mary Margaret to announce it publicly. You know she can't keep a secret for long."

"Aye. I agree with Killian." Liam had finally found his voice. "If it is Elsa, I'd rather her tell me when she's ready."

The men all nodded, silently agreeing that it was most likely Elsa or Mary Margaret to whom the test belonged, and that the mystery could very well be resolved that night. Respecting the wishes of the prospective fathers, the men went back to work and tried to put the matter out of their minds.

A feat easier said than done when new revelations were innocently uttered over breakfast.

"Ugh. I think my dryer is on the fritz," Ruby lamented, appearing in the dining room still in her pajama bottoms before plopping into a seat. "None of my jeans fit. They must have shrunk in the wash."

"I don't think that's actually a thing that happens. Especially with jeans that aren't new." Emma slipped onto Killian's lap after she spoke and crammed the rest of her poptart into her mouth, earning her a disgruntled look. Killian would never understand her addiction to those vile things.

"Are you suggesting I'm getting fat?" Ruby leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, daring Emma to respond.

"I think she's suggesting that we all gain a bit over the holidays," Belle added diplomatically while spooning herself a second helping of scrambled eggs. "I know I've been guilty of over indulging lately."

From across the table Will's eyes were glued to Belle's fork, watching as bite after bite made its way into her mouth until she was reaching for more bacon and asking if there was more toast. Standing abruptly, the scrape of Will's chair had all eyes landing on him. He caught those of the assembled men and choked out a command.

"Yard. Now."

The ladies watched with furrowed brows and perplexed expressions as Graham, Liam, and David all filed out behind a practically sprinting Will.

"What the hell?" Emma looked to Killian for some sort of explanation, but all she got in response was his nervous tick of scratching behind his ear before prompting her to stand so he could follow in the other men's wake.

"Did you see that?" Will asked in near panic. "Did you see how much Belle ate? See never eats that much, I tell ya. I tease her all the time about eating like a bird only for her to correct me about how much birds actually eat." Will was pacing frantically, his hysteria forcing the pitch of his voice to heights Killian had never heard before.

"What about Ruby?" Graham interjected with an equally frenzied tone. "Didn't you hear? None of her jeans fit. Ruby has been in the same size jeans since college. She prides herself on it. Now all of a sudden they don't fit?"

"Mates, relax," Killian said calmly. "It doesn't have to mean what you think it means. I doubt it would even strike you as odd if not for what we discovered earlier."

"Easy for you to say," Will countered. "Emma isn't the one throwing up, or sleeping late, or complaining her clothes don't fit, or eating everything in sight. She's got no bleedin' symptoms at all."

He was right, of course. Killian had scrutinized Emma all morning, questioning whether her breasts seemed a bit fuller, or her curves a bit rounder. Each observation had sent a flurry of emotions through him while determining if the glow in her skin was normal, if her appetite seemed on par, or whether her yawning might have been more excessive than usual. He wasn't sure if he'd been left with more relief or remorse over the conclusion that nothing appeared out of sorts with his Swan, so he couldn't really blame Will or Graham for their current trepidations. A babe was no small matter, and as much as a family was something he envisioned for their future, was he really ready for that future to start now?

"I think Killian has a point," David spoke up. "We're all on edge and reading into things. We just have to stay calm and wait for confirmation." He clapped a hand on Will's back and ushered them all back inside with mutterings of _act natural_ under his breath.

"What is going on with you guys?" Emma cornered Killian moments later. "You're all acting strange."

"I don't know what you mean, love. We're all fine."

"Fine meaning, freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional? Yeah, I got that. Hence my question."

Killian couldn't stop the smile that tugged at his lips from Emma's use of one of his favorite movie quotes. "You're right, Swan," he confessed on a sigh. "The lads are a bit worked up over something, but I'm afraid I can't tell you over what just yet. To do so would…"

"Go against the bro code?" Emma supplied after Killian's explanation trailed off.

"Something like that," he huffed amusedly, pulling her close and securing her in his arms. "I promise to confide in you as soon as I have leave, though. Do you trust me?"

"Of course, I trust you," she replied softly. "I just want you to know that you can trust _me_."

"I do, love." He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "Implicitly."

They stood there together for long moments, soaking up the comfort each provided the other, and Killian found himself quite eager for that future he'd been vacillating over just minutes before. As unlikely as it was that the test had been hers, Killian couldn't help but let a bit of hope soar in his heart over the prospect.

Emma sighed and pulled away. Reaching up she caressed Killian's cheek and he instinctively nuzzled into her touch. "I'm going to go check on Elsa," she told him. "You might want to consider spiking the eggnog. Might help with all the _fine _going on with your _mates_."

Killian chuckled at the butchered way she impersonated his accent and watched her retreat towards the bedrooms.

Perhaps some liquid fortification wasn't such a bad idea.

The afternoon progressed with movies, games, and a few more emergency summits where the men found themselves going off in groups to the restroom, back to the yard, and out to the garage with each new observation for one of them to be totally _fine _over.

"_She won't let me hug her tight. Do you think that means something? Don't their chests get tender when they're pregnant?"_

"_Why would she think we had pickles? When have we ever brought pickles to Friendsmas?"_

"_She slept in all morning and now wants to go have a nap?!"_

"_Well, she stopped throwing up, but flat refused to help with dinner prep. Said she couldn't handle the kitchen smells. Bloody hell. It's Elsa, isn't it?"_

"_I promise to not corrupt my niece or nephew too much, brother."_

"_Bugger off, Killian."_

By the time dinner was done and the time came for them all to congregate in the living room to open gifts, the men's level of _fine _was reaching critical mass. Fortunately, they did not have to wait too long for the mystery that had plagued them all day to finally be solved. For just as Killian had predicted, Mary Margaret was incapable of keeping it a secret any longer.

"I'm pregnant!" the woman announced joyfully. The squeals of the other women jumping up to offer congratulatory hugs to her and a beaming David (who was still holding the _Daddy Charming _t-shirt Mary Margaret had gifted him as her way of revealing the news) overshadowed the collective sigh of relief being expelled in unison by the other men.

"I found out a couple of weeks ago and had the shirt made, but I've been in such disbelief about it I think I've taken another dozen or so tests since that initial one. Including one yesterday when we got here, just to be sure."

Toasts were made, more gifts were exchanged, and in the warm glow of merriment Killian did his best to tamp down the disappointment consuming him at now knowing for sure the test had not been Emma's. Though, her whispered tease that she had a private gift waiting for him in their room did help in improving his mood. He had no problem simply practicing for now.

"Why do I get the sense that Mary Margaret's announcement wasn't quite as big of a shock to you guys as it was to us gals?" Emma asked later as they readied themselves for bed, a neatly wrapped present sitting conspicuously on the nightstand next to her side of the bed.

Slipping beneath the covers, Killian recounted the tale of that morning's discovery of the positive pregnancy test and the subsequent events of the day.

"No wonder the guys were all losing their minds all day," Emma laughed.

"Aye. Fortunately, we all know how difficult it is for Mary Margaret to keep a secret. We felt fairly certain that if it were her or Ruby, we'd know by the end of the weekend. A public announcement isn't really your, Elsa, or Belle's style, so we agreed to wait it out."

"Well, you're right about that," Emma agreed, something bordering on mischievousness peeking around her expression. "Totally not my style." She reached for the package on the nightstand and handed it to Killian with a soft yet timid smile. "This is."

Killian looked at her with furrowed brows, and his heart began to race from the expression gracing her features. With trembling hands he opened the package. Inside, he did not find the naughty bit of lingerie he'd been expecting, but something else entirely.

A tiny, baby onesie.

"It's also not my style to take a test in a cabin full of people who might find it." Killian tore his eyes from the unbelievably small garment and up to Emma's bright green eyes, sparkling with tears. "I did that a few days before we left to come here."

She waited several seconds, gauging his reaction. When he still hadn't said anything, she prompted, "Killian, tell me what you're thinking. How do you feel about this? And please don't say _fine_."

Killian dropped the onesie back into the gift box and took Emma's face into his hands. "Oh, love," he breathed, pressing his forehead to hers. "I am feeling so much more than _fine_." He captured her lips, pouring out all the joy he felt in that moment into the kiss. A kiss that was anything but... _fine_.


End file.
